Cowboy mounted shooting (also called western mounted shooting and mounted shooting) is a competitive equestrian sport involving the riding of a horse to negotiate a shooting pattern. Depending on sponsoring organizations, it can be based on the historical reenactment of historic shooting events held at Wild West shows in the late 19th century. Modern events use blank ammunition instead of live rounds, certified to break a target balloon within twenty feet (6 m). [1]
In the spirit of the soldier and cowboy, one organization, the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (CMSA) was created in the mid-1990s for equestrians and cowboy action shooters to participate in a competitive shooting sport while riding horseback. [2] [3] The Mounted Shooters of America was formed in 2000 and may belong to either or both associations.
Mounted shooting requires competitors to use four guns (2 single-action revolvers, 1 lever-action rifle chambered in pistol caliber, and 1 side-by-side double-barreled shotgun). Single action semi-automatic firearms, also known as self-cocking firearms, are also allowed in special military cavalry and Wild Bunch events (named after the 1969 Western movie of the same name that used more modern firearms). In general, firearm designs and the modern replicas used in the sport are of the pre-1900 American West and Military eras. [4]
All events, whether for Old West living history or shooting competitions, are directed by a certified mounted range officer who must be knowledgeable of firearm safety, event organization, and horsemanship. The direction of a mounted range officer helps to ensure the safety of the competitor, spectators and volunteers at all events. [1]
In the early years, mounted shooting competitors were required to wear clothing of the American West, classic B-Western movies, or military cavalry uniforms of any time period or country. Today, the most that are required is modern cowboy clothing with chinks or chaps, a long-sleeved shirt and a cowboy hat. [4] The Mounted Shooters of America do not require chinks or chaps, except for showcase events at major venues.
The sport is regulated by several governing bodies, including the CMSA, [5] CSA, [6] SASS, [7] and MSA. [8]
Mounted shooting requires skill in both horsemanship and shooting that is measured in the form of competitive events and is one of the fastest-growing equestrian sports in the nation. The object of the sport is to shoot ten balloon targets while riding through a variety of challenging courses using specially loaded blank cartridges fired from Old West-style single-action revolvers. It is a high-speed, timed spectator sport in which the competitor who rides the fastest with the fewest missed targets wins. [9]
The typical event requires two single-action revolvers, each loaded with five blank cartridges. Ten targets are arranged in a horseback riding arena. When the competitor is given a go-signal, indicating the arena is clear of people and hazards, the rider guides his horse across a timer line and engages the ten targets. When all ten targets are engaged, the rider returns across the timer line and his score is determined and recorded. The raw time of the rider is computed and penalties are added for missed targets or failure to follow the specified course or procedure, or knocking over barrels or target stands. [9]
Shooters enter the arena one at a time. Total score times are determined by taking the raw time for the stage (or course) plus penalties and/or bonuses. Penalties include missed targets, knocked over barrels and missed course direction. [10]
To level the field, different levels of competition exist for riders and shooters of varying abilities. For CMSA members, as an example, classifications include Senior Men's, Men's, Senior Ladies and Ladies. The classes are further divided by age, each with its own rules for safety applied. [11]
These classes are:
The MSA's classifications are Rookie, Non-Professional, Semi-Professional, and Professional. A competitor's placement in these divisions is based on the Class level as determined by SASS or CMSA when a member of these associations first joins the MSA.
Competitors advance by accumulating winning placements. Mounted Shooters are automatically moved into higher levels to maintain equitable and fair events against people of similar proven skills. [12] MSA members begin as a Rookie and advance to higher divisions by accumulating wins. While the MSA recognizes CMSA levels upon entry into MSA and upon moving to higher levels in the CMSA, the CMSA does not currently recognize MSA members' divisions or move-ups.
Mounted shooting uses black powder theatrical blanks with no bullet. Companies such as Western Stage Props, Buffalo Blanks, Circle E Blanks, Lonesome Pine, and Whitehouse Blanks manufacture certified ammunition for competition. These blanks were originally used in movie production and on the theatrical stage so that flame and smoke can be seen from the muzzle of the firearm. A slow-burning powder component of the blank can break a balloon target at a range of up to 20 feet (6 m). [4]
Western Shooting Horse [13] , which was later named Western Horse & Gun, by new owners, was a national newsstand publication devoted to the sport and covers the organizations, people, horses, competition, training, guns and equipment. The magazine was headquartered in Cave Creek, Arizona, and was published six times a year. The magazine suspended print publication on December 17, 2017. As of late 2018, the website is defunct.
Mounted shooting events have been featured on ESPN, TNN, Fox Sports and the Outdoor Life Network. [14]
Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms and bows/crossbows.
Equestrianism, commonly known as horse riding or horseback riding, includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the use of horses for practical working purposes, transportation, recreational activities, artistic or cultural exercises, and competitive sport.
Rodeo is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western Canada, and northern Mexico. Today, it is a sporting event that involves horses and other livestock, designed to test the skill and speed of the cowboys and cowgirls. American-style professional rodeos generally comprise the following events: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, Steer roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding and barrel racing. The events are divided into two basic categories: the rough stock events and the timed events. Depending on sanctioning organization and region, other events such as breakaway roping, goat tying, and pole bending may also be a part of some rodeos. The "world's first public cowboy contest" was held on July 4, 1883, in Pecos, Texas, between cattle driver Trav Windham and roper Morg Livingston.
A wax bullet is a non-lethal projectile made of wax material — often paraffin wax or some mixture of waxes and other substances that produce the desired consistency — that mimics the external ballistics but not the terminal effects of real bullets. Due to the low weight and density, wax bullets are typically used in a primed centerfire cartridge with little to no propellant powders, as often the primer ignition alone can provide all the necessary energy needed to propel the wax bullet out.
A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and international championships in a given discipline or breed. Most shows consist of a series of different performances, called classes, wherein a group of horses with similar training or characteristics compete against one another for awards and, often, prize money.
A blank is a firearm cartridge that, when fired, does not shoot a projectile like a bullet or pellet, but generates a muzzle flash and an explosive sound like a normal gunshot would. Firearms may need to be modified to allow a blank to cycle the action, and the shooter experiences less recoil with a blank than with a live round. Blanks are often used in prop guns for shooting simulations that have no need for ballistic results, but still demand light and sound effects, such as in historical reenactments, special effects for theatre, movie and television productions, combat training, for signaling, and cowboy mounted shooting. Specialised blank cartridges are also used for their propellant force in fields as varied as construction, shooting sports, and fishing and general recreation.
Reining is a western riding competition for horses where the riders guide the horses through a precise pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All work is done at the lope, or the gallop. Originating from working cattle, reining is often described as a Western form of dressage riding, as it requires the horse to be responsive and in tune with its rider, whose aids should not be easily seen, and judges the horse on its ability to perform a set pattern of movements. The horse should be willingly guided or controlled with little or no apparent resistance and dictated to completely. A horse that pins his ears, conveying a threat to his rider, refuses to go forward, runs sideways, bounces his rear, wrings his tail in irritation or displays an overall poor attitude is not being guided willingly, and is judged accordingly.
Equitation is the art or practice of horse riding or horsemanship.
Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races. It is one of the international competitions recognized by the FEI. There are endurance rides worldwide. Endurance rides can be any distance, though they are rarely over 160 km for a one-day competition.
Rodeos have long been a popular competitor and spectator sport in Australia, but were not run on an organised basis until the 1880s.
Western pleasure is a western style competition at horse shows that evaluates horses on manners and suitability of the horse for a relaxed and slow but collected gait cadence, along with calm and responsive disposition. The horse is to appear to be a "pleasure" to ride, smooth-moving and very comfortable. Most light horse breeds in the United States and Canada may compete in western pleasure classes, either in open competition or at shows limited to a single breed. However, horse conformation and temperament play a role in this event, and hence animals of stock horse breeds that are calm, quiet, have collected, soft gaits and the strong muscling required to sustain slow, controlled movement are the most competitive.
Fast draw, also known as quick draw, is the ability to quickly draw a handgun and accurately fire it upon a target in the process. This skill was made popular by romanticized depictions of gunslingers in the Western genre, which in turn were inspired by famous historical gunfights in the American Old West.
An equestrian helmet is a form of protective headgear worn when riding horses. This type of helmet is specially designed to protect the rider's head in the event of falls from a horse, especially from striking a hard object while falling or being accidentally struck in the head by a horse's hoof.
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Mounted archery is a form of archery that involves shooting arrows while on horseback. A horse archer is a person who does mounted archery. Archery has occasionally been used from the backs of other riding animals. In large open areas, it was a highly successful technique for hunting, for protecting herds, and for war. It was a defining characteristic of the Eurasian nomads during antiquity and the medieval period, as well as the Iranian peoples such as the Alans, Sarmatians, Cimmerians, Scythians, Massagetae, Parthians, and Persians in Antiquity, and by the Hungarians, Mongols, Chinese, and Turkic peoples during the Middle Ages. The expansion of these cultures have had a great influence on other geographical regions including Eastern Europe, West Asia, and East Asia. In East Asia, horse archery came to be particularly honored in the samurai tradition of Japan, where horse archery is called Yabusame.
Cowboy action shooting is a competitive shooting sport that originated in the early 1980s, at the Coto de Caza Shooting Range in Orange County, California. Cowboy action shooting is now practiced in many places with several sanctioning organizations including the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), Western Action Shootists Association (WASA), and National Congress of Old West Shooters (NCOWS), and Single Action Shooting Australia (SASA).
The Canadian Equestrian Team or CET collectively describes the athletes that represent Canada at the highest levels of international equestrian competition, specifically at the World Championship, Olympic, and Paralympic levels.
Western dressage is an equestrian sport that combines the principles of dressage riding and the use of western tack. Riders typically wear western attire, such as button-up shirts, cowboy boots and jeans. All horse breeds are permitted to compete in western dressage.
Richmond "Richie" Champion is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bareback bronc riding and became the first bareback rider to earn $1 million at a single rodeo.